Electrical housing box



y 8, 1941- v. G. EIBEN ELECTRICAL HOUSING BOX Filed April 25, 1940 will INVENTOR.

BY I

ATTORNE Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL HOUSING BOX Vincent G. Eiben, Lakewood, Ohio Application April 25, 1940, Serial No. 331,651

(Cl. I'M-52) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrical housing box for high voltage current connections and is intended primarily for use in installations of neon tube signs wherein there is usually provided a support for the tubes and separate electrical connections at each end of the llllibES constituting the sign.

In such installations, the practice is to provide a porcelain or other type of insulating electrical connecting member in which the end of the neon tube is receivable to make an electrical connection. The connection is completed by a conduit which is connected to a binding post mounted on the insulator. Frequently there will be a large number of such connections and since the current supplied to the neon tube is under high voltage, there will exist a possible fire hazard and source of injury to Workers by coming into contact with the binding post to which the conduit connections are made.

To eliminate the danger from exposed electrical connections, the usual practice has been to build covers and mount the cover in a position covering the electrical connections. However, this practice has been found impractical because of the fact that signs of this character are usually made to supply individual needs and A it'is necessary to build individual covers for each installation. Moreover, where it is necessary to make repairs, the cover must be removed thereby exposing all of the connections and subjecting the workmen making the repairs to danger from electrical burns.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a housing for each of the individual electrical connections and adaptable for universa1 use with all types of conventional connecting devices which will eliminate the necessity of building separate covers for signs of different sizes.

A further object is to provide a housing for each of the electrical connecting devices for the terminals of the neon tubes having parts cooperable with the electrical connecting device through which the electrical connection to the tubes is made and with the fastening devices normally employed for securing the electrical connecting device in position on a support to enable the mounting of the electrical connecting device and housing therefor on the support as a complete unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken through a portion of a neon tube sign and showing the housing of this invention in position with respect to the electrical connecting device employed for making an electrical connection with the terminals of the neon tubes.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the electrical housing box.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the housing box shown in Figure 2,

Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of inserts for adapting a housing box of the type shown in Figures 2 and 3 for use with various types of electrical connecting devices.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the mounting of one form of electrical connecting device and housing therefor; and,

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing a different form of electrical connecting device.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a frame or backing member on which is mounted by connections (not shown) a sign comprising neon tubes 2 and a support 3 which may be formed of colored glass or other material suitable as a background for the tubes 2. The electrical connection to the tubes 2 is made through a connecting device 4 which may be formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. The connecting device 4 is provided with a binding post 5 for connection to an electrical conduit t and connections 1, as shown in Figure 1 by dotted lines, for connecting the binding posts 5 to the terminal ends of the neon tubes 2. The tubes are usually connected in series and only the connections between the adjacent neon tubes are shown in Figure 1, the connections of the other ends of the neon tubes 2 to the source of current supply not being shown.

In installations of this type of sign, the binding posts 5 are usually left uncovered and since current is supplied thereto from the conduits 6 under high voltage, there is danger of jumping a spark to inflammable material such as the foundation l to which it is attached and. which is frequently formed of wood. Furthermore, there is danger to workmen from burns caused by contacting the bare connections.

It will be understood that the parts thus far described form no part per se of this invention, this invention being directed to the adaptation of the housing indicated as whole by the numeral 8 for use with the connecting devices 4.

The housing 8 comprises the hollow cylindrical member 9 preferably formed from sheet metal although any other suitable material may be employed. The housing is provided with a flange ID at one end thereof, a cover I I being provided for the other end thereof and adapted to be secured in position by fastening devices [2. The side wall of the container 9 is provided with weakened parts which may be punched out to provide a plurality of openings l3 through which the cable conduit 6 may be passed for making an electrical connection with the binding posts 5.

In order to adapt the housing 8 for use with the type of connecting device 4 shown in Figure 6, the flange i is provided with slots [4. The connecting device 4 is provided with a flange [5 which may be clamped against the portion of the sign 3 surrounding openings Is by means of fastening devices H. The fastening devices I are operable to draw the flange into tight engagement with the sign support 3 to hold the connecting device 4 in a fixed position. In mounting the connecting device 4 in position, the housing 8 is placed in position with the slots I 4 immediately over openings formed in the support 3 for the passage of the fastening devices [1. The connecting device I4 is then inserted into the interior of the housing 8 with its flange IS in engagement with the flange It. The fastening devices I? are then operated to clamp the flange 5 against the flange l0 and support 3, the fastening devices I! thereby operating to hold both the connecting device 4 and the housing 8 in a fixed position.

In Figures 5 and 7, there is illustrated a connection and insert adaptor l8 for adapting the housing 8 for use with a different form of connecting device 4. The connecting device 4' is provided with a flange I9 movable into engagement with the portion of the support 3 surrounding the openings 16. The connecting device 4 is also provided with threads 26 for engagement with threads formed on a sleeve 21 constituting an integral part of the insert or adaptor 18. In mounting the connector 4 in position, the flange is is first placed in engagement with the edges of the opening l6 as shown in Figure 7 and the insert 58 is then placed over the connecting device 4 and rotated until its flange part 22 engages with the flange l9. Continued rotation of the adaptor ill will exert a clamping force against the flange i 0 to hold the housing 8 and connecting device 4 in a fixed position.

It will be apparent that the adaptor insert l8 may be formed separate from the housing 8' as shown in Figures 5 and '7 or may be formed integral with the flange [4 without departing from the spirit of this invention. It will also be understood that the slots l4 ma be omitted from the flange ES and an insert 23 provided with slots [4 could be used for adapting the housing 8 for use with the connecting device such as indicated by the numeral 4.

In operation, the connecting device 4 or 4 is first placed in position within the interior of the housin 8 and the fastening devices are then operated to secure the connecting device and the housing 8 in a fixed position. Thereafter, the conduit 6 is passed through an opening l3 and an electrical connection is made to the binding posts 5. The top H is then mounted in position and the electrical connecting device 4 is thereby completely covered and damage from exposed connections is thereby prevented.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there is provided a housing 8 which is adapted for use with an electrical connecting device for the terminals of neon tubes, the housing being op erative to protect the electrical connections from the effects of said weather and also to prevent damage or injury due to exposed electrical connections.

It will also be noted that the fastening devices employed for securing the electrical connecting devices in position, are also common to the housing and are employed to hold the housing and electrical connecting device in position as a complete unit. The connecting devices and housings therefor may be assembled and mounted in position with no greater consumption of time than is normally used in mounting the electrical connecting device in position without a housing. It will also be noted that the housing 8 eliminates the necessity of building and mounting a housing unit in position in order to cover all of the electrical connections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination, an electrical connecting device for a terminal of a neon tube sign, a support, fastening means for mounting said connecting device on said support, a housing for said connecting device comprising a hollow body portion in which said connecting device is receivable, an inwardly extending flange formed at one end of said housing, said fastening means including an insert receivable within said housing against said flange, said insert being cooperative with said connecting device for exerting a clamping force against said flange to mount said housing on said support as a unit with said connecting device upon operation of said fastening means to mount said connecting device on said support, said housing being provided with an opening at the other end thereof to provide access to said connecting device for making an electrical connection, and a cover for said opening.

2. In combination, an electrical connecting device for the terminal of a neon tube sign, a sign support having an opening in which said connecting device is receivable, fastening means operable to mount said connecting device in position with respect to said opening, said connecting device being provided with a flange adapted to be clamped against said opening upon operation of said fastening means, and a housing for said connecting device comprising a hollow body portion in which said connecting device is receivable, said housing having parts at one end thereof cooperative with said connecting device and fastening means adapted to be clamped against said support to mount said housing in position with respect to said opening as a unit with said connecting. device upon operation of said fastening means to mount said connecting device in position.

3. In combination, an electrical connecting device for the terminal of a neon tube sign, comprising an insulating tubular member, a sign support having an opening in which a portion of said tubular member is receivable at one end, fastening means applied to the support adjacent said opening therein for holding the tubular member in position with respect to the opening and comprising flange means associated with the tubular member and adapted to be clamped against a side of the support at said opening by operation of the fastening means, a housing for the said tubular member surrounding the same for the protection of electrical terminals on the tubular member and for preventing dangerous contacts therewith, said housing being formed with a flange engaging the side of the support from which the tubular member projects and engaged by the flange of the tubular member so as to be clamped against the support thereby and thus hold in position the housing so that the latter houses and encloses the tubular member, and a removable cover for the housing at the end thereof opposite the end which is engaged and clamped to the support.

VINCENT G. EIBEN. 

